- Joined
- Dec 31, 2009
- Location
- Smack dab in the heart of Texas
I've been re-reading the Sanders family history. This is my maternal grandmother's side of the family, which first came to the US in the 1600's in North Carolina, then traveled down to Georgia, participated in the land lottery, then on to Mississippi. One of their ancestors was Amos Horton, a captain under Francis Marion, so they obviously had some SC ties at some point.
My g-great grandfather, Willis Perry Sanders, was a farmer...but in rereading I've picked up that he was also a gunsmith by trade. Well, this explains why so many of his sons enlisted....I suspect they were good shots and well-armed...and BTW, his brother in law, Zachariah Booth, was the captain of the Leake Co. Company (The Scotland Guards) they tended to enlist in. Makes sense to me. It also explains why one of his sons, Lt. John Henry Sanders, and a cousin, Alsey Andrew Sanders, died "a-tinckering with a mine" at Ft. Pemberton in April, 1863. They had recently been a part of the sinking of Star of the West, and were probably doing a little recycling and repair. Hey, if you can take a gun apart, you can take a mine apart....right? Don't answer that.
This is a quote from another cousin in Georgia, Mitchell E. McLaughlin, who did the basic research on the family....
"Eleven of our Sanders relatives were known to have served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War and only four survived. Four of my great-great-grandfather Willis Sanders' sons served (that's my g-g-grandfather as well). Willis' brother, Bluford Sanders, had one son who served but did not survive. Willis' brother Micajah and one son served and both survived."
Andrew Jackson Sanders died in quarters Jan. 14, 1864 near Dalton, GA., age 22. He was unmarried.
John Henry Sanders blew himself up April 19, 1863 at Ft. Pemberton, Age 23, leaving a widow, Mary.
Micajah Pope Sanders was wounded at Peachtree Creek and survived. He lost several fingers and lived to the age of 79. He walked home from North Carolina after surrendering at Greensboro.
Alsey H. Sanders died in camp in October 1862, which is probably illness or accident. His father did file a claim for his pay at time of death, so it was military-related.
Francis Marion Sanders survived and died in 1921.
George Washington Sanders was sick and on furlough several times during the war. In 1864 he recovered and returned to his unit in time to be captured at the Osage Orange Hedge in Franklin, was sent to Camp Douglas, and died there of pleurisy on March 28, 1865.
John Perry Sanders mustered in at 19, was sick constantly, and finally mustered out and died at home in July 1862. Again, the cause must have been related to Military service, because his father filed and received a claim for his death.
Alsey Andrew Sanders blew himself up with his cousin, John Henry in April, 1863.
David W. Sanders was in Co. E, 17th Ala., was captured and died at Camp Douglas Sept. 26, 1864, probably of dysentery.
Micajah (Mike) Sanders was in Co. B, 40th Miss., enlisting at the age of 43. He served from October 1863 to April 26, 1865, when he was paroled near Greensboro. At the end he was with Co. I of the 3rd Miss. Consolidated Rgt.
Burton Sanders, his son, served with his father at the same times and places. He died in 1904
Another son, Thomas, may or may not have been in the service (I'll have to look him up)....but died June 1862, which makes it a possibility.
As you can see, I have a lot left to do. The research Mr. McLaughlin did was pre-Internet age, so I want to see what else has turned up since then.
One of the things that initially sent me on this particular search was obtaining a copy of the family Bible, which had been at Ft. Concho since my grandmother's death in 1864. The family records were particularly interesting to me, and I believe I was the last one allowed to touch the Bible and get copies...it was extremely fragile, from having been exhibited for over 25 years at the time.
In my great-great-grandmother's writing, "Alsey Sanders expired on the night of the 27th of October AD, 1862." "John H. Sanders Expired the 19th Day of April AD, 1863" "Andrew J. Sanders Expired January 15th AD 1864". I can't even imagine what she felt, especially knowing at least one of her sons died in Camp Douglas so far from home.
This war is fascinating, but sometimes it's just too much to comprehend.
My g-great grandfather, Willis Perry Sanders, was a farmer...but in rereading I've picked up that he was also a gunsmith by trade. Well, this explains why so many of his sons enlisted....I suspect they were good shots and well-armed...and BTW, his brother in law, Zachariah Booth, was the captain of the Leake Co. Company (The Scotland Guards) they tended to enlist in. Makes sense to me. It also explains why one of his sons, Lt. John Henry Sanders, and a cousin, Alsey Andrew Sanders, died "a-tinckering with a mine" at Ft. Pemberton in April, 1863. They had recently been a part of the sinking of Star of the West, and were probably doing a little recycling and repair. Hey, if you can take a gun apart, you can take a mine apart....right? Don't answer that.
This is a quote from another cousin in Georgia, Mitchell E. McLaughlin, who did the basic research on the family....
"Eleven of our Sanders relatives were known to have served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War and only four survived. Four of my great-great-grandfather Willis Sanders' sons served (that's my g-g-grandfather as well). Willis' brother, Bluford Sanders, had one son who served but did not survive. Willis' brother Micajah and one son served and both survived."
Andrew Jackson Sanders died in quarters Jan. 14, 1864 near Dalton, GA., age 22. He was unmarried.
John Henry Sanders blew himself up April 19, 1863 at Ft. Pemberton, Age 23, leaving a widow, Mary.
Micajah Pope Sanders was wounded at Peachtree Creek and survived. He lost several fingers and lived to the age of 79. He walked home from North Carolina after surrendering at Greensboro.
Alsey H. Sanders died in camp in October 1862, which is probably illness or accident. His father did file a claim for his pay at time of death, so it was military-related.
Francis Marion Sanders survived and died in 1921.
George Washington Sanders was sick and on furlough several times during the war. In 1864 he recovered and returned to his unit in time to be captured at the Osage Orange Hedge in Franklin, was sent to Camp Douglas, and died there of pleurisy on March 28, 1865.
John Perry Sanders mustered in at 19, was sick constantly, and finally mustered out and died at home in July 1862. Again, the cause must have been related to Military service, because his father filed and received a claim for his death.
Alsey Andrew Sanders blew himself up with his cousin, John Henry in April, 1863.
David W. Sanders was in Co. E, 17th Ala., was captured and died at Camp Douglas Sept. 26, 1864, probably of dysentery.
Micajah (Mike) Sanders was in Co. B, 40th Miss., enlisting at the age of 43. He served from October 1863 to April 26, 1865, when he was paroled near Greensboro. At the end he was with Co. I of the 3rd Miss. Consolidated Rgt.
Burton Sanders, his son, served with his father at the same times and places. He died in 1904
Another son, Thomas, may or may not have been in the service (I'll have to look him up)....but died June 1862, which makes it a possibility.
As you can see, I have a lot left to do. The research Mr. McLaughlin did was pre-Internet age, so I want to see what else has turned up since then.
One of the things that initially sent me on this particular search was obtaining a copy of the family Bible, which had been at Ft. Concho since my grandmother's death in 1864. The family records were particularly interesting to me, and I believe I was the last one allowed to touch the Bible and get copies...it was extremely fragile, from having been exhibited for over 25 years at the time.
In my great-great-grandmother's writing, "Alsey Sanders expired on the night of the 27th of October AD, 1862." "John H. Sanders Expired the 19th Day of April AD, 1863" "Andrew J. Sanders Expired January 15th AD 1864". I can't even imagine what she felt, especially knowing at least one of her sons died in Camp Douglas so far from home.
This war is fascinating, but sometimes it's just too much to comprehend.